Flu modelling job at PHE in collaboration with Imperial
https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/5a88b2fab03967d136c8ca82d7b66afc/?vac_ref=915047690
Duration: until 31 March 2019
Location: Colindale, NW London and Imperial College London, Paddington.
Salary: minimum £38,589

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a mathematical modeller to develop innovative models and inference methodology to improve our understanding of the spatial spread of pandemic and seasonal influenza, and to use these models to evaluate the impact of control strategies (in particular vaccination) in the short and long-term in order to inform public health policies.

With the emergence of a new pandemic strain in 2009, the constant threat from cross-species emergence and the recent decision by the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to extend seasonal vaccination to school-aged children, there are few public health issues currently of greater importance than influenza transmission in terms of impact on the health of society. This project will contribute to the innovative research required to identify and rigorously evaluate optimal responses to the threat from circulating respiratory viruses.

The post is funded by one of the NIHR-funded Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) led by Prof Neil Ferguson and focussing on Modelling Methodology. It will be undertaken as part of the Respiratory Infections theme of the HPRU. The post-holder will gain valuable experience working closely with epidemiologists, statisticians and modellers both at Public Health England and Imperial College.

The post will be partly based in the Modelling and Economics Unit, in the National Infection Service (NIS) in Colindale, NW London (60%) and at the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling, Imperial College (40%). Transport costs associated with spending time at Imperial College will be met by the HPRU. The Modelling and Economics Unit is a dynamic and stimulating group comprising infectious disease modellers and health economists working on diverse projects relating to the burden of infectious disease and modelling the impact of interventions against infections. It is a world leader in its field. NIS Colindale is an internationally-renowned centre of excellence for expertise, reference and research, surveillance and epidemiology in relation to human health.It is an excellent place to conduct public health research that can help shape policy both nationally and internationally. The MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling at Imperial College is one of the biggest team of infectious disease modellers in the UK and is a centre of excellence for research on the epidemiological analysis and modelling of novel infectious disease outbreaks.

We are seeking an able mathematical modeller with proven high-level skills in statistical inference and computational statistics.